Russian officials recommended people to refrain from alcohol for 2 months after taking Sputnik V vaccine shot. Health experts in India on Thursday said that this is a preventive measure for Covid-19 patients. Warning issued against alcohol consumption is a general immune-boosting measure rather than as a specific contraindication or interaction with the vaccine.
Dr Praveen Gupta, Director and Head, Neurology, Fortis Hospital in Gurugram, said, "Russian officials have strangely advised few preventive measures for patients taking the vaccine which are likely to prevent them from contracting Covid-19 infection for two months."
"Either they believe that vaccines will start working after two months or there is no rational reasoning why people should take prolonged precautions despite being vaccinated," Gupta added.
Experts stressed that such measures in a country where alcohol consumption is common, can impact the population socially and economically and it may also make people vary of the vaccine.
According to the World Health Organisation, Russia is the fourth-largest consumer of alcohol per person in the world. An average Russian consumes around 15.1 litres of alcohol a year.
According to the Russian health authorities, the country estimates that 100,000 people have already been inoculated. Russia rolled out its vaccination last weekend in Moscow.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova who warned about the alcohol consumption said that it takes 42 days for Sputnik V covid vaccine to reveal its effectiveness, thus Russians will have to follow extra precautions during that period.
"Russians will have to refrain from visiting crowded places, wear face masks, use sanitizers, minimize contacts and refrain from drinking alcohol or taking immunosuppressant drugs," Golikova told TASS News Agency.
Anna Popova, the head of Rospotrebnadzor, Russia's consumer safety watchdog, has recommended avoiding alcohol. she adds, "It's a strain on the body. If we want to stay healthy and have a strong immune response, don't drink alcohol.”
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According to Dr Jyoti Mutta, Senior Consultant, Microbiology, Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute in New Delhi, this statement is made to mount a strong immune response in the body after vaccination.
She said although the side effects of the Sputnik vaccine are not known as of now and they claim the vaccine is 90 per cent effective, "We should evaluate the interaction of alcohol with the vaccine in greater detail before concluding as the vaccine may be used around the world," Gupta adds.